Measures and investments to reduce climate risks and mitigate the consequences of climate change can be decisive factors for a company's success. These include strategic and infrastructural adjustments, the use of renewable energies and the consistent reduction of energy and CO₂ emissions.
According to a joint study conducted by the Bundesvereinigung Logistik e. V. (BVL) and KPMG in 2024, the majority of investments with this goal are made in the real estate sector: 69 per cent of the companies surveyed take climate risks in existing properties into account, for example through measures to increase efficiency. For new buildings, this figure is 68 per cent.
The decarbonisation of existing logistics properties requires extensive efforts and is currently fundamentally changing the industry. What is becoming clear: Companies that invest now can significantly improve their carbon footprint and thus reduce operating costs, which can lead to increased property values and make the properties more attractive to investors and skilled workers.
How KPMG supports the decarbonisation and climate resilience of logistics properties
Successful decarbonisation and adaptation to climate change are based on a clear strategy and careful implementation. KPMG supports companies in defining their vision and goals, creating scenarios and translating the goals into a concrete roadmap, implementing the measures at portfolio level and continuously monitoring and specifically tracking the entire process.
Dr. Steffen Wagner
Partner, Deal Advisory, Head of Corporate Finance, Head of Transport & Infrastructure
KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft
Answers to practical questions
Our consulting approach is to first gain an overview of the portfolio and then identify the particularly "dirty" and unsustainable properties with a high pressure to act. Based on this, action plans can be developed to make the properties fit for the future step by step - in particular reducing CO₂ and energy consumption, utilising renewable energies and resilience to climate risks.
Data and empirical values are available on the costs of decarbonisation up to 2045. Properties are often classified according to the pressure to act and type of use, and key cost values are defined for each cluster based on the status quo and our empirical values.
Costly refurbishment measures are not always worthwhile at the present time. However, we have found that a profitability analysis of the logistics property in question can still pay off, as it shows that the investment will pay off at a certain point in the future. The variables here are, in particular, the development of the future CO₂ price and energy costs on the one hand and the costs of a measure on the other.
EU taxonomy certification can lead to lower interest rates in financing and thus to real financial added value. On the other hand, energy-intensive properties in particular are sometimes unable to obtain financing, find an investor or receive a penalty.
First and foremost, we recommend checking for each property whether electrifying the heat supply (heat pump) makes technical and economic sense for the property in question. Depending on the result, it may make sense to either wait for the municipal heat planning (connection to district heating) or to proactively switch to a heat pump.